<CV NorthWest> You say “music touches me and lifts me up” - how did you get started in music?
<Leona X> As far back as I can remember I have been touched by music. My very first exposure was at home with my mom. She would be cleaning house and listening to Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, etc. She and I would sing along to it. Those are wonderful memories for me. That's also how I got hooked on Elvis Presley. Instead of being influenced by the typical stuff that most girls my age were into, I was rocking out to Elvis.
<CVNW> You say “when I heard rock n roll music as a teen that was it for me” - what was the catalyst, who did you hear that gave you the fever?
<Leo> It was AC/DC. I fell in love with Angus
Leona X is a hard rocking singer and lead guitarist from the Pacific NW. With a dynamic stage presence, ripping guitar solos, and a powerful sound, she is what you get if you mix Joan Jett, Angus Young, and a little bit of Vegas. Her music is like a kiss of dynamite; jaw dropping, electrifying, and sexy, Leo will leave you wanting more! Try to turn away from her burning eyes, sparkling smile, and gorgeous looks...it's too late, you cannot resist her. So catch your breath and head to one of her shows; but get prepared for an experience you won’t ever forget!
Young’s guitar tone, his technique, and his on stage charisma. He's so exciting to watch live! I just get all giddy when he does those crazy guitar solos, and I'm all smiles. It wasn't one of those little crushes, like, "Oh he's so cute". It was more like, "Damn! He is bad ass!! I want to play like that too!" After I heard AC/DC, I was never the same again.
<CVNW> Even then, you started playing guitar somewhat late, no, in your late teens?
<Leo> I started when I was 16. My family was very poor, and couldn't afford to buy me a guitar or have lessons. So my first guitar was this really old, yucky acoustic that I bought at a yard sale down the street for $5.00. I started working at Wendy’s so I could save up to buy a real one. It took about 6 months or so, and then I bought my first electric guitar, which was an Arbor, and a lit-
<CVNW> Did you have any other interests growing up?
<Leo> Yes and no. I knew I wanted to entertain. Yes - when I was 5 years old I sang "I'm Gettin' Nothin' For Christmas" in the school play. I remember looking out at the audience and seeing my mother out there watching me, and feeling so confident and proud, and when the song was over I stood there, like I didn't want to walk off the stage, and my teacher was standing off on the side waving at me to exit the stage and come to her. I at her looked at her thinking "No, I don't want to, I want to perform some more." LOL When I was at home I would do all the typical stuff that everyone does when they have the itch to perform, like singing with a brush for a microphone, dancing around the house, and playing air guitar. So, in terms of other interests, I knew I just wanted to be on stage, no matter if it was singing, dancing, acting, or playing guitar.
No - there has never been and still is nothing else I would rather do. Nothing that can ever replace or replicate the same feeling I get performing. Nothing else I want to do.
<CVNW> Who are your guitar influences?
<Leo> Angus Young, of course; also, Tony Iommi, Jerry Cantrell, and Slash. Angus is my guitar hero all the way!
<CVNW> If you could play a set with one band, tell us who you’d choose <Leo> AC/DC!!
<CVNW> Ok, I waded right into that answer. LOL Alright, let’s talk about your musical journey…
Killer Instinct - your first band, a heavy metal band - tell us about that. You play rhythm guitar there, but over time you developed the skill to play lead?
<Leo> Yes.
<CVNW> Was it just practice, or even more hunger for the limelight with those solos?
<Leo> It was both. I never thought “I'm just going to play rhythm.” I intended on being a bad ass lead guitarist just like Angus. So yes, I practiced every single day. Not just at actual technique, but also to
be able to run around and entertain at the same time. So I would practice that too. LOL I wanted to get to the point of being able to feel my way around the neck without having to look at it.
<CVNW> You then transition from Killer Instinct to Bootleg - how did you hook up with those girls?
<Leo> Then I met Suzi, the singer of Bootleg. She knew me from around the scene, and wanted to put together another girl band. She said "Leo, you're going to play lead. You CAN do it!" So I went to work at learning the songs we were writing together, and wrote my first guitar solos. Since I had never taken lessons, and didn't know anything about scales or anything, I would think of a melody that went with the rhythm, and then try to duplicate it on the guitar. I had to find where it sounded right on the neck, you know, in key. To this day I only know one scale, and barely know how to use it. LOL I have learned to play without
knowing why I'm in the position I am in. I just know it's right if it sounds right and feels good. Because of that, I have a very keen ear. That's how it happened.
<CVNW> You actually put out an EP with them, yes?
<Leo> Yes, 4 songs.
<CVNW> Did you ever make it to an acceptable place with your notoriety with Bootleg?
<Leo> Not really. I mean, we were well known in L.A., but that's all. We were so young and inexperienced and didn't know how to really drive the bus, so to speak. We were too busy partying.
<CVNW> Were you seeing the success you longed for at that point in your life?
<Leo> No.
<CVNW> After Bootleg, you relocated to Vegas why Vegas?
<Leo> Because things weren't going very well in
L.A. at the time. I moved to Vegas with the boyfriend I had at the time because that's where he was from and where his family lived. He later turned out to be my first Husband and first divorce, but that's a whole other story!
<CVNW> So there was nothing magical about Vegas that whispered “I need to be there”?
<Leo> It didn't whisper to me. LOL It was just out of necessity. I actually hated it at first because it was too HOT and I didn't have any friends or family But I grew to like it
<CVNW> Shortly after moving to Vegas, you formed Jaggedy Ann and things take off. You won the USA leg of a Battle of the Bands, and ended up going to New Zealand to compete in the WORLD final!
<Leo> YES!!
<CVNW> None other than Phil Rudd, drummer for AC/DC who was in the audience, offers to produce your first album Boiling Point - tell us how you were able to get hooked up with him to work on the record after he saw you play.
<Leo> That is an amazing story, because as you know, I had always been a huge AC/DC fanatic. Never, in a million years, did I ever expect that to happen! Andrew Featherstone was the founder and organizer of the World Battle of the Bands, and of Intergalactic Records in New Zealand. How it started is that we wanted to play in L.A., but coming from there, I knew all about the "pay to play" thing going on and didn't want to do that.
<CVNW> “Pay to Play” - what are your thoughts on that?
<Leo> My opinion is I don't like it, but I can somewhat understand why the venues do it. What I mean is this; the reason venues do that is because they are a business and they want and need to make money. How they make money is by door and bar sales. If a band doesn't promote, network, and advertise the show, they won't draw people in. Then everyone loses money. The venue doesn't care how good a band is. Their concern is making money and not losing it, which is understandable. However, for a hard working band that promotes and networks like crazy to get people out to see them, does their advertising etc., it's not fair. Now on the other hand, it's also not right/fair for the
venue to leave it all up to the band, and not do their share either. I've had that happen to me too. It has to be a 50/50 split of advertising duties, between the band and the venue, in order for it to be a successful event.
<CVNW> An honest opinion, thank you. OK, back to the Battle of the Bands…
<Leo> Well, we saw there was this contest and it was a chance to play there without having to sell tickets. So we entered it, not expecting to win or go anywhere with it. We just wanted to play in L.A. Well, turns out we won the first round, and had to go back for another, won that one, and then had to go back again, won again, and then kept winning every time until we won the U.S. Championship! That won us the chance to have an all-expense paid trip to New Zealand to compete against all the other countries. We scrambled to get all of our passports in order, immunizations, etc., and we were off! There, we competed and only came in
2nd place, but were the biggest winners of all because it was there that Phil Rudd saw us. Andrew decided he wanted to sign us to his label. He was already friends with Phil. That's why Phil was at the final, to see us, per Andrew’s request. Knowing Andrew wanted to sign us, he told him that he wanted to produce the album.
I'll never forget the first time we met Phil. In addition to his amazing house, out in the boonies in New Zealand, he also has a killer boat that he lives in sometimes when he wants to escape. That is where we met him the first time. Andrew told us he was taking us to meet him and I was out of my mind nervous and excited. I couldn't believe it. I kept asking, on the way there, "Is this real?" "Girls, we're going to meet and hang out with PHILL RUDD!" OMG!!!!!! I was a fumbling idiot at first, but once we got over the initial introduction, and went on the boat, we were drinking and partying with him like old friends. He made us feel totally comfortable and welcome. We drank Baileys, his favorite, and listened to the demo of our song "Kissing Dynamite" that we recorded really quick in Andrew’s studio the day before, along with more great music we all loved, while he told us stories about being in AC/DC. It was unforgettable.
<CVNW> How did that process differ from recording the EP with Bootleg?
<Leo> Well, there's hardly any comparison. First of all the recording with Bootleg was just a demo which was never really "produced", packaged or manufactured. But it was my very first recording, which was a necessary learning experience. The JA album was fully financed, produced, and had a lot of blood, sweat and tears, put into making it. Also, there was more of me in it, they are my songs, and JA was my band, doing what I had envisioned. JA was the love of my life, as far as bands go, and we all had a lot at risk. We put our lives on hold for it and were traveling all over the world trying to make it happen. I had a much bigger emotional, mental, and financial investment in Jaggedy Ann than I did in Bootleg.
<CVNW> What did you learn from working with someone like Phil Rudd?
<Leo> A ton! Phil has a great sense of rhythm and timing, obviously, but one of the first things that became apparent to us was that we were playing
the songs too fast. He made slow a number of them down, to groove more. Which brings me to the part where we talk about how funny he was too. While we were getting to know him, we started to see his personality emerge and he would say the funniest things. So, when we would play too fast he would say "Whoa Nelly!" Which, in and of itself isn't really that funny, unless you heard all of the other stuff that he would come up with. We started to keep a journal of some of his sayings. Anyway, one of the songs he made us slow "waaaaay down" was AC/DC's own "Sin City". I'll never forget the day we played it for him. We were so excited for him to hear it. We couldn't believe we were going to have the chance to play it for him and that he would also fill in and jam it with us on it. We just knew he was going to love it. Instead, he said "Whoa Nelly! Crap! That was plain crap! It's too damn fast and you've ruined it." We stood there, shocked and devastated. LOL But he was right. We slowed it down and it was so much better. He took that approach with "Shot of Gasoline" too. It was twice as fast before he changed it.
Also, I learned to make the song intros shorter. He said, "Get to the point faster. You've got 30 seconds or less to reel them in". One of the biggest
changes he made was the drums…go figure. LOL Our drummer, Holly is an amazing and very skilled drummer. Her style, and what she is actually capable of shows a little on the album, but only about half of it. The reason why is because Phil had her play so much less than what she would normally do. For example, on the song "Feeling Alright" (which, btw, happens to be Phils favorite JA song) her original drum parts were much funkier and intricate, but he changed them to a totally stripped down, basic beat. He did that on a large portion of the songs. His reasoning, "less is more". It turned out to be a better song, but I commend Holly for being such a good sport.
<CVNW> How, in your opinion, did that record do?
<Leo> Not as well as it could have done, to put it mildly. The reason I say that is because the label went bankrupt before the album was released, so it never got released and nothing was done about it, or the advertising for it or anything else that had to do with making a successful record. Nothing got done. It wasn't until Do It Records took over in 2011 that it even got officially released, and by then it was too late. We had lost momentum and the band had broken up.
<CVNW> Did it meet your expectations?
<Leo> Sad to say, but no. It was a huge disapointment because, it never got released and never sold. People aren't going to buy a record they don't know about. It didn't get played on the radio, wasn't available anywhere, and the band wasn't working anymore.
<CVNW> Jaggedy Ann achieved a ton of success, played a bunch of shows across the world but band ultimately split up. What happened?
<Leo> We never officially broke up, and it wasn't because we didn't like each other, or couldn't get along, or anything like that. After the label went bankrupt we went through many personal tragedies. Deaths in our families, births, car accidents, divorces, and everything we lost due to the record label closing down, all this left us no choice but to retreat into financial, emotional, mental, and physical recovery. We are still the best of friends and
would love to be able to play together again, but life has led us on different paths. We still keep in touch and are trying to plan a reunion show some time this year.
<CVNW> And now, here we are to Leona X… was there a real void without Jaggedy Ann?
<Leo> At first there was. Like I said, JA was the love of my life, as far as bands go. I was so depressed for a long time.
<CVNW> Having been such a big part of your life, was it hard to let go?
<Leo> Yes, it was. I tried really hard to keep us together, but it was just impossible after everyone started having families.
<CVNW> How did you end up in Yakima from Vegas?
<Leo> Everyone asks me this. Lol
<CVNW> We will jump on that bandwagon… why did you choose Yakima?
<Leo> I moved here because I married someone
here. We dated long distance while I lived in Las Vegas, and then I had to make the decision to move so I could be with him.
<CVNW> Okay, let’s talk a little about the boys in the band your posse. Tell us who backs you on stage, let’s introduce the rest of the band.
<Leo> Yes! Let's do that!
Henry Cheng - Rhythm Guitar
Chris Ewers - Bass
Simona Bressi - Drums
<CVNW> Was it hard to find the right members?
<Leo> Yes, it's always hard to find the perfect members that have all the right skill, drive, and chemistry.
<CVNW> What did you see in them that really indicated that they are the right fit?
<Leo> Well, Simona was the first one I found because she was filling in for JA during the end days when I was trying desperately to keep us together. I was blown away by her the first time I heard her play. I had to have her. No one else would do after that!
Then I found Chris. He plays in an AC/DC tribute band too, so I knew he would be a perfect fit! Henry was the final piece. He came in with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and I loved his attitude and talent!
<CVNW> What about THIS lineup backing you do you think works so well?
<Leo> Everyone is seasoned, very skilled and professional. Also everyone has the same love for playing and performing and has a very dynamic presence. I am lucky to have such amazing musicians in my band.
<CVNW> Any thoughts about women in Metal?
<Leo> There are so many greats in metal and rock now. Fortunately we had women like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Ann & Nancy Wilson, and Doro Pesch, just to name a few, to open the doors and break down the barriers for us. Now we have the amazing Lizzy Hale, who, btw, I am a HUGE fan of, to look up to and continue to pave the way for us upcoming female rock artists. I am so supportive and happy to see more and more women getting out there and making a statement.
<CVNW> Have you “come a long way baby”?
<Leo> LOL Yes, I feel like it. I've been playing guitar for so long, it seems, and now it's a new beginning, like I've been reinvented now that I am singing too. I just wish I would have started much sooner.
<CVNW> Do you see yourself as a trailblazer for Metal women in today’s music, or carrying on a solid tradition already started by others?
<Leo> A little of both. Like I said above, I am very grateful to the women who have pioneered before me, and definitely admire them, but I hope I can be a trailblazer too, that I can inspire other women to take a stand and get out there if this is what they truly want to do.
One of the things I get harrassed about sometimes is that I'm on the girly side. I don't have tattoos, body piercings, and I'm not into dressing all metal and punked out, like most girls in rock do. I feel like a lot of them get so caught up in trying to prove they are as tough as the guys that they go overboard on trying to look mean. That's o.k., if that is who you are, what you want to do, and how you feel, but I don't think you should be ostracized and made to feel like you don't have a choice and only do it to fit in. I'm not afraid to be feminine. I am, after all, a woman. I'm not a man, so why should I dress like one? LOL I have a song that's called "Look Like an Angel, Play Like the Devil". It's about that very subject. Don't let looks deceive you! I like who I am, and I am proud to be a feminine woman who rocks.
Also, one of the things that's very important to me is sending out a positive message to girls and women about having a positive and strong self esteem. You can be who you are, express yourself, rock out and be daring, but still hold true to your morals of being a good person, being kind to others, living healthy and staying away from drugs and alcohol. That probably doesn't sound cool, but later in life you will be so thankful you did. A strong body equals a strong mind, health, and happiness.
<CVNW> As a lead guitarist, do you think women get the credit they deserve?
<Leo> Unfortunately no. I think there are a lot of really great female singers and lead guitarists out there, but not many of them reach the star status and recognition that millions of male musicians
do. Also, I think that part of it is because the standards that women have to live up to are much higher than our male counterparts. This might start a controversy, but what I mean is this; there are so many, tons and tons of unattractive male rock stars. As long as they have the drive, talent, attitude, and great songs, it doesn't matter what they look like, and they can be pretty much any age, in fact many of them look like hell.
But if you're a woman, not only do you have to be an amazing musician, and all of the above, but you don't have a chance if you don't look like Beyonce and are not in your 20's. We have to live up to incredibly unrealistic versions of absolute perfection that the media crams in our faces every single day. We are under so much pressure to be extremely hot, and super amazing at everything, along with having to be twice as ambitious and driven to be able to cope with it all. It's part of why Lizzy Hale is making it so big now. Yes, she is amazing, and a great singer and song writer, but there are tons of other amazing female rock singers who don't make
it because they're not as hot as she is. Sex sells, and that's how it will always be. Fortunately for me, I really like sex, and am not afraid to express my sexuality, but not all women feel that way.
<CVNW> (I'd say that it's an incredible time for women lead guitarists who can play, but I'm just asking your perspective)
<Leo> Yes, on the other hand, it is a great time to be a woman in the rock industry because of the strong women who have opened the doors for us, and it is becoming way more acceptable than ever.
<CVNW> Julia Pope at EchoEyes gave your teaser EP a solid review, and compared you (also said that you are constantly compared) to Joan, Lita, Vixen, and Pat…that's pretty heavy company to be mentioned with, how does that make you feel?
<Leo> Like I said, I have so much admiration and respect for those women, so it really means a lot to me. They are the ones that made me feel like it's possible and inspired me to go after my dream. I am very, very, honored to be compared in any small way to them.
<CVNW> You've said that being on stage is like a drug that gets me high like becoming a shooting star - are you ever nervous when you perform?
<Leo> Absolutely! It depends on circumstances. Sometimes I'm more nervous than other times and what happens is I have to pee over and over again before I go on. LOL
<CVNW> Is it that intoxicating?
<Leo> YES!! I know it sounds crazy, but it's the time that I feel the most confident, powerful, and secure about myself, and it's like I have no control over what I say and do.
<CVNW> Do you ever get so lost in the show that when the last song is done, you’re like whoa, are we through?
<Leo> Yes, I turn into someone else. It's quite funny, and interesting because in real life I have been told that my personality is way too sweet to believe that I could come across like that crazy woman on stage, and then before I know it, it's over, and I've worked myself into such a frenzy that it's hard to stop sometimes. LOL
<CVNW> Do you have any particularly memorable performances?
<Leo> There are quite a few, and for different reasons, but if I had to pick one it would be the Pulp Summer Slam in the Phillipines.
<CVNW> “Pulp Summer Slam”? In the PHILLIPINES?
<Leo> That was with Jaggedy Ann, as part of the first world tour, and was set up by Andrew Featherstone. We were used as the official poster band for the event. They used our image for all the advertising, back stage passes, promotional posters, etc. We were the USA Guest Band. There were over 30,000 rock fans, and was a gigantic event.
<CVNW> Why was it memorable?
<Leo> Because we played in front of over 30,000 people and they were going insane! The interesting thing about it is that it was the poorest place we had played at on the tour, yet had the most fans in attendance.
<CVNW> Do you have a favorite venue to play?
<Leo> Right now it's Louie G's in Fife, Washington because they have the best stage, sound, lights, etc. and it's all ages, so everyone can go.
<CVNW> OKAY, let’s touch on SEMA - how in the heck did that come about?
<Leo> That is really not such a mystery. I have a few really awesome agents in Las Vegas, and one of them lined me up with it.
<CVNW> Was it weird being plugged into a Kia
Soul automobile?
<Leo> I was a little worried about it, not knowing what to expect, and thinking it wasn't going to sound that great, but after I plugged in and started playing I was blown away at how much like a Marshall it sounded. The sound was FAT!! And I loved it!
<CVNW> One more auto-centric question: in several pictures, I see the number “11” on your guitar – what is the significance of that?
<Leo> This is the number of Jaggedy Ann’s race car driver, Dustin Ash. We endorsed each other. Dustin had a huge picture of us painted on the hood of his car, so every time he raced we were with him! lol And he would bring the car to our local shows and park out front so fans could see it. In return we would make appearances at his races and stand with the car and sign autographs and take photos with his fans.
<CVNW> Your sound has been described as what you get if you mix Joan Jett, Angus Young, and a little bit of Vegas - does that seem about right to you?
<Leo> I would say that sounds about right. LOL Obviously, I love Angus Young and he is who influenced me, so that definitely shows, and I think the Joan Jett thing because I have a lower range than a lot of female singers.
<CVNW> Playing guitar, singing, playing LEAD, dancing & jumping around stage (all in stilettos, by the way) - how are you able to manage all of it?
<Leo> Practice, practice, and more practice! Playing guitar is easy for me now, since I've been doing it for so long, but I am new at singing, so it is challenging for me. I have to practice every day. I also exercise at least 3 - 4 days per week. It takes a lot of stamina to do all that. Your heart and diaphram have to be strong and you have to be in shape, so I stick to a very disciplined, healthy clean living life style. Exercise, eating healthy, plenty of water, sleep, vitamins, and no drugs.
<CVNW> That’s quite a bit of multitasking! <Leo> It's the only way to go!
<CVNW> The Kickstarter campaign…how much were you looking to raise?
<Leo> $10,000
<CVNW> It was ultimately not successful, any thoughts as to why? I ask because a ton of artists are using Kickstarter to help fund recording, do you think there might have been an oversaturation there?
<Leo> I'm not sure why, but I do agree that there is an over saturation. It seemed like when I was doing it, there were at least 5 other bands from my area doing one also. People get numb to things when they are bombarded with so many people asking for money, especially when the economy isn't doing so great.
<CVNW> I heard rumors of a Jaggedy Ann documentary tell us about that.
<Leo> Yes, it's going to be very interesting. We have so many funny and crazy stories to tell about recording with Phil Rudd, living in his studio for 3 months, being on tour, and all the people we met
from so many different cultural backgrounds and countries. Also, the whole heartbreaking story of how much we had at risk and lost due to the record label closing down, our family deaths, births, car accidents, divorces, affairs, drama, etc. Plus some really great music!
<CVNW> Do you have any thoughts on the Seattle music scene?
<Leo> Hmmmm, not sure how to put this. LOL I think that Seattle is culturally rich, in that there is a lot of musical history that was made here in the grunge era. With bands like Nirvana, Sound Garden etc., it changed the rock industry. But let's face it, I'm from the L.A./Las Vegas scene and I'm everything the grunge bands were against, so I'm not sure what they think of it, although I have been pretty lucky with the reception I've been getting so far. I don't think they are hating me, but I think they're not sure what to think. LOL
<CVNW> Any ideas on how, if possible, it could get better?
<Leo> Just to try to be more open minded and not stuck in the 90's?
<CVNW> Social Media…necessary evil or savvy marketing tool?
<Leo> Both.
<CVNW> Okay, it’s the first quarter of 2014, tell us what’s in store for Leona X, what can we expect from you in the coming months?
<Leo> Loads of exciting stuff! More recording, touring, and more craziness!!!! Are you Ready For This?!
